Health
Professions
Council of Zambia
Patients’ Rights and
Responsibilities
The Health Professions Council of Zambia is a statutory regulatory body established by the Health
Professions Act No. 24 0f 2009 of the Laws of Zambia. The Council is mandated to:
* Register Health practitioners and regulate their professional conduct;
* License public and private health facilities;
* Accredit health services provided by heath facilities and
* To recognise and approve training programmes for health practitioners.
The Council is also mandated to ensure that it protects and assists the public in all matters relating to
the health profession and in the treatment of patients. Therefore, every citizen or patient needs to
know that they have Rights and Responsibilities when seeking medical attention which are as
follows:
(a) PATIENTS’ RIGHTS
I)To receive reasonable, respectful and safe access to health services by competent personnel that
the healthcare facility is required to provide;
ii)To treatment and medical/care services without discrimination based on race, age, colour, religion,
ethnicity, national or social origin, sex, sexual preferences, handicap, diagnosis, sauce of payment or
other status;
iii) To receive, as soon as possible, the services of the translator or interpreter to facilitate
communication between the patient and the hospitals healthcare personnel if the patient cannot
understand the working language;
iv) To receive from the patients’ health practitioner(s) or other clinical practitioner(s) an explanation
of his or her complete medical condition, recommended treatment, risk(s) of the treatment,
expected results and reasonable medical alternatives in terms that the patient understands. If this
information shall be detrimental
to the patients’ health, or if the patient is not capable of
understanding the information, the explanation shall be provided to his or her next of kin or
guardian and be documented in the patients’ medical record.
v) To give information, written consent prior to the start of specified none-emergency procedures or
treatments only after a health practitioner or other clinical practitioner has explained
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specific details about the recommended procedure or treatment , the risks involved, the possible
duration of incapacitation and any reasonable medical alternatives for care and treatment in terms
that the patient understands. If the patient is incapable of giving informed , written consent, consent
shall be sought from the patients’ next of kin or guardian through an advance directive, to the extent
authorised by law. If the patient does not give written consent, a health practitioner or other clinical
practitioner shall enter an explanation in the patients medical record;
vi) To refuse medication and treatment and to be informed of the consequences of refusing
treatment/care, except in cases of sexually transmitted conditions where such refusal will pose a risk
to both the patient /service user or others;
vii) To be informed if the hospital has authorised other healthcare and educational institutions to
participate in the patients’ treatment. The patient also shall have the right to know the identity and
function of these institutions and may refuse to allow the participation in their treatment;
viii) To be transferred to another facility (say from levels 1 to 2/3 hospitals) with the reasons recorded
in the patient’s medical record as follows:
* The transferring healthcare facility is unable to provide the type or level of medical care appropriate
for the patients’ needs. The health care facility shall make an immediate effort to notify the patients’
next of kin and document that the notification was received; or
* The transfer is requested by the patient, or by the patients’ next of kin or guardian when the patient
is mentally incapacitated or incompetent.
ix) To receive from the healthcare facility an explanation of the reasons for transferring the patient to
another facility, information about alternatives to the transfer;
x) To be treated with courtesy, consideration, and respect for the patients’ dignity and individuality
i.e, the right to care that respects the patients’ personal values and beliefs.
However, for the citizens to receive quality healthcare services , they are also expected to adhere to
the following responsibilities:
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(b) PATIENT’S RESPONSIBILITIES
Every patient has the following responsibilities:
a) To provide, to the best of the patients’ knowledge, accurate and complete information regarding
past medical history and issues related to the patients health including unexpected changes, to the
health professional responsible for the patient’s care;
b) To follow the course of treatment and instructions proposed by the general medical practitioner or
to accept the consequences if treatment instruction is refused;
c) To report any changes in his or her condition or anything that appears unsafe to the responsible
health professional;
d) To be considerate of the rights of the other patients and to respect their privacy;
e) To respect their caregivers;
f) To fulfil the financial obligation as promptly as possible;
g) To keep all appointments and notify hospital or the appropriate person when unable to do so;
h) To observe the hospital policies and procedures including those on smoking, alcohol, drug
addiction, cellular phones, noise and visitors;
I) Be considerate of the healthcare facilities and equipment and to use them in such a manner so as not
to abuse them;
j) Not to litter the healthcare premises
( c) INFORMED CONSENT (PATIENTS’ RIGHTS)
I) Each healthcare facility shall protect and promote each patients’ rights. This includes the
establishment and implementation of written procedures for securing patients consent.
ii) An informed consent may not be required during emergency cases or life threatening situations
where the patient is not capable of giving an informed consent and his or her next of kin is not
available.
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iii) No photographic audio, video or other similar identification recording is made without prior
informed consent of a patient
iv) The healthcare facility shall comply with relevant Laws, National and International Codes of
Ethics in the case of vulnerable groups like children, women, senior citizens/elderly patient can give
consent.
v) A healthcare facility shall establish and implement a process to provide patients and / their
designee an appropriate education to assist in understanding the identified condition and the
necessary care treatment. The public is therefore, urged to ensure that their rights are respected and
followed and that every patient should adhere to their responsibilities for quality healthcare services
to be offered.
The Council is encouraging Practitioners to respect Patients’ Rights and Patients to exercise their
responsbilities towards their health providers and facilities.
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OUR CONTACT DETAILS:
HEAD OFFICE
No. 7 Chaholi Road,
Off Addis Abba Drive
Rhodespark, LUSAKA
P.O. Box 32554
Land line + 260211236241
LUSAKA OFFICE
Plot 8/1330,
Enock Kavu Road
Rhodespark, LUSAKA
COPPERBELT HUB - NDOLA REGIONAL OFFICE
No. 6 Kenya Road
North-rise, NDOLA
Land line + 260 021 2272520
SOUTHERN HUB – LIVINGSTONE REGIONAL OFFICE
No. 82 John Hunt Way
Central Business District, Livingstone
NORTHERN HUB - KASAMA REGIONAL OFFICE
Plot 2247, Off Mwamba Road
Central Town, KASAMA
Mobile lines: + 260 0974 567777 + 260 0979407172
HEAD-PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT
Our Mobile line
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Our Electronic (E)-mail
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Our Electronic (E)-mail
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+260979/0967-236241
info@hpcz.org.zm
tmusonda@hpcz.org.zm
www.hpcz.org.zm
Health Professions Council of Zambia
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